But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people) -- those influential leaders added nothing to my message.

Like cloudy skies and wind that produce no rain, so is the one who boasts of a gift not given.

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector.

For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.

Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise.

If someone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know to the degree that he needs to know.

When

And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

I have become a fool. You yourselves forced me to do it, for I should have been commended by you. For I lack nothing in comparison to those "super-apostles," even though I am nothing.

He deceiveth

Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise.

But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.

But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.

If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

General references

There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way that leads to death.

So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth.