Verse 12
In irony Paul claimed to be a coward, as his critics accused, when it came to comparing himself with his critics. They cited their own conduct as normative and then prided themselves on measuring up to the standard. The Corinthians would be just as foolish if they measured Paul’s apostolic credentials by using the same subjective standard that his critics applied to themselves.
J. B. Phillips’ paraphrase of the first part of this verse captures Paul’s irony well.
"Of course, we shouldn’t dare include ourselves in the same class as those who write their own testimonials, or even to compare ourselves with them!" [Note: J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English.]
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