For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—did not become “Yes and no”; on the contrary, a final “Yes” has come in Him.

In fact, I made up my mind about this: I would not come to you on another painful visit.

I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident about all of you that my joy will also be yours.

For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been embarrassed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia:

Therefore, show them proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you.

For I know your eagerness, and I brag about you to the Macedonians: “Achaia has been prepared since last year,” and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

But I sent the brothers so our boasting about you in the matter would not prove empty, and so you would be prepared just as I said.

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.

We are not bragging beyond measure about other people’s labors. But we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged,

so that we may proclaim the good news to the regions beyond you, not boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry.

But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as our equals in what they boast about.

If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses.

I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.