“defended himself. He did so not out of a prideful desire to win their fawning adulation. But he defended himself for their good. By proving himself to be credible, he could show that his message was credible. By proving himself to be acting out of love, he could show that the loving message of the gospel was genuine. He was exposing the lies of the false teachers one at a time. The goal was to cause the Corinthians to doubt Satan and his messengers and to build trust in God and God's messengers (Paul and his team). Reflect: Share about a time or situation where you needed to persuade others of your good intentions for their good. Share about a time when you boasted for the wrong reasons. We have all seen cases where it is necessary for people to prove either their credentials or their good intentions. Parents from time to time may have to tell their kids how much they sacrifice for them. This is done for the good of the children. Children should know that their parents love them and sometimes they might be tempted to doubt it. The correct motivation for defending your character to your children is for their well-being. You want them to trust you, to love you, to listen to you, and to accept discipline. All of this is good for them. So too, a boat captain or a pilot might "boast" about his experience. It can help to calm the fears of the passengers. In like manner, a doctor may ensure a patient he knows what he is doing. The goal is to help calm the patient and also encourage the patient to follow the treatment prescribed. If a patient believes false negative reports about”