I’ve made a fool of myself, but you forced me to. You should have been the ones to praise me. I’m not the least bit inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I’m nothing.
I’m not going to compare myself with those other people who praise themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they’re not being wise.
We’re not trying to recommend ourselves to you again, but we are giving you a chance to be proud of us. That way you can answer those who judge people by external appearances, rather than by what’s in their hearts.
Apollos then wanted to go to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters encouraged him to do that. They wrote to the disciples there and asked them to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by God’s grace had become believers.
When I arrive, I’ll send some people with your gift to Jerusalem. They’ll be people you trust. You can choose them yourselves. I’ll give them letters to explain who they are.
All this time, have you been thinking that I’ve been speaking up for myself? No, I’ve been speaking with God as my witness, as a believer in Christ. Dear friends, everything I do is to help you become stronger.
Unlike many people, we aren’t selling God’s word to make money. It’s just the opposite! Because of Christ, we speak honestly before God, as people God has truly sent.
Follow my example. I try to please everyone in every way. I’m not looking out for what’s good for me. I’m looking out for the interests of others, so that they might be saved.
Other people might be your guardians in Christ, but even if there were 10,000 of them, you still wouldn’t have many fathers. I became your father in Christ Jesus by telling you the good news.