5. I destroy every claim and every reason that keeps people from knowing God. I keep every thought under control in order to make it obey Christ.
6. Until you have obeyed completely, I will be ready to punish you every time you don't obey.
7. You are looking only at what appears on the surface of things. Suppose you are sure you belong to Christ. Then you should consider again that I belong to Christ just as much as you do.
8. Do I brag too much about the authority the Lord gave me? If I do, it's because I want to build you up, not pull you down. And I'm not ashamed of that kind of bragging.
9. Don't think that I'm trying to scare you with my letters.
10. Some say, "His letters sound important. They are powerful. But in person he doesn't seem like much. And what he says doesn't amount to anything."
11. People like that have a lot to learn. What I say in my letters when I'm away from you, I will do in my actions when I'm with you.
12. I don't dare to compare myself with those who praise themselves. I'm not that kind of person. They measure themselves by themselves. They compare themselves with themselves. When they do that, they are not wise.
13. But I won't brag more than I should. Instead, I will brag only about what I have done in the area God has given me. It is an area that reaches all the way to you.