9. I do not want it to appear that I am trying to frighten you with my letters.
10. Someone will say, “Paul's letters are severe and strong, but when he is with us in person, he is weak, and his words are nothing!”
11. Such a person must understand that there is no difference between what we write in our letters when we are away and what we will do when we are there with you.
12. Of course we would not dare to classify ourselves or compare ourselves with those who rate themselves so highly. How stupid they are! They make up their own standards to measure themselves by, and they judge themselves by their own standards!
13. As for us, however, our boasting will not go beyond certain limits; it will stay within the limits of the work which God has set for us, and this includes our work among you.
14. And since you are within those limits, we were not going beyond them when we came to you, bringing the Good News about Christ.
15. So we do not boast about the work that others have done beyond the limits God set for us. Instead, we hope that your faith may grow and that we may be able to do a much greater work among you, always within the limits that God has set.
16. Then we can preach the Good News in other countries beyond you and shall not have to boast about work already done in someone else's field.
17. But as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast about what the Lord has done.”
18. For it is people of whom the Lord thinks well who are really approved, not people who think well of themselves.