Paul says he knows of nothing against himself. You shouldn’t either. If you know of sin, you should get rid of it! Confess. Want it gone. Ask God to take it away.

God will judge. God will judge not just the actions but the heart motivation behind your actions. Ask God for a pure heart.

If we have a pure heart and righteous behavior, we don’t get proud about it! There’s nothing we have that we weren’t given by God. We thank God for any and all good in our lives.

God has already given us everything and given it to us freely. Give thanks!

Paul says he and the other apostles have become like the scum of the earth, but then urges them to imitate him.

He says they have countless guides in Christ. One of the things that’s hard in American Christianity is that there are countless teachers. They say different things. You can just pick the one who says what you want to hear.

I can understand Paul wanting them to look to him to learn how to walk in Christ, the one who has been through so much in order to share the gospel with them.

Paul says the apostles are their fathers and that he can either come in gentleness or with a rod.

He is speaking to some arrogant people among them who seemingly don’t want to listen to Paul and walk in his ways.

Paul says, “I’m not just all talk. I come in power.” And he wants to see what power they have, or if they are all talk. Paul demonstrates the gospel message with healings and miracles and proves the power of God.

You may feel like you can’t give people those things, but is your message coming with power? Are lives transformed? Are people getting free from sin? Are people turning from unforgiveness to loving others? Those things take the power of God.