³ This is my defense to those who would examine me.

¹⁶ At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them!

¹⁷ the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment.

⁷ It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart,^[a] for all of you are my partners in God’s grace,^[b] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.^(A)

¹⁰ So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.^(A)

⁵ Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!^(A)

³ since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you but is powerful in you.^(A)

¹⁶ Be that as it may, I did not burden you. But, crafty person that I am, did I take you in by deceit? ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go and sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves with the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same footsteps?^(A)

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? We are speaking in Christ before God. Everything we do, beloved, is for the sake of building you up.^(B)

⁷ Look^[a] at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we.^{(A) 8} Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.^(B)

³⁷ Anyone who claims to be a prophet or spiritual must acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command^[a] of the Lord.^(A)